Not only do they sound identical, the words bloc and block also look similar, with a single ‘k’ separating their spellings. Despite these similarities, these two words have different meanings. This post will help you distinguish between these terms and allow you to use them properly in your writing.
The word bloc is used as a noun referring to “a combination of persons, groups, or nations forming a unit with a common interest or purpose,” “a group of legislators who act together for some common purpose irrespective of party lines,” or “a group of nations united by treaty or agreement for mutual support or joint action.”
Pro-unity party garners most votes but pro-independence bloc gets majority in Catalan election: exit poll
XinhuaEU needs more time to finish trade deal with South American bloc: France and Eire delaying
ExpressAngela Merkel’s bloc wants to explore ‘stable government’ with SPD
POLITICO
On the other hand, the term block has a variety of uses and meanings, the most common of which is as a noun pertaining to “a compact usually solid piece of substantial material especially when worked or altered to serve a particular purpose” or “a large solid piece of hard material, especially rock, stone, or wood, typically with flat surfaces on each side.”
Man caught stealing giant ice block Christmas decoration
Daily MailMan on five-day ice bender carries block of wood to protect himself
Ballarat CourierIt’s Big Block of Cheese Day on Designated Survivor
AV Club
As a noun, it may also refer to “a usually rectangular space (as in a city) enclosed by streets and occupied by or intended for buildings” or “the area bounded by four streets in a town or suburb.”
Closed New York cheese store is stinking up the block, neighbors say
Fox NewsTwo men fatally shot on residential block on Long Island
New York PostFire breaks out on busy Adams Morgan restaurant block
Washington Post
Furthermore, block can also function as a verb meaning “to make the movement or flow in a passage, pipe, road, etc. difficult or impossible” or “to hinder the passage, progress, or accomplishment of by or as if by interposing an obstruction.”
Second US federal court blocks Trump’s transgender military ban
The IndependentTwitter will tell users if content was blocked to comply with local laws or legal demands
TechCrunchSecurity Council Tightens Economic Vise on North Korea, Blocking Fuel, Ships and Workers
New York Times
Now that we’ve discussed the differences between bloc and block, you should be able to distinguish them from each other and be able to use them more accurately in your sentences. Remember that bloc pertains to a unified group for a specific purpose while block either refers to a compact piece of material or impeding movement.
